Laws & Regulations

Both Sides Now — How Permitting Reform May Affect Fossil Fuel, Clean Energy Industries

It’s a political knot with the potential to tangle the fossil energy industry, the clean energy industry … or both. Environmental journalists looking to better report on the impacts of permitting reform can start with our latest Backgrounder, which explores the issue’s recent history and the competing visions that have stalled changes. There’s also the “backroom problem.” Plus, get a rundown of key actors.

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Watching the Watchers: How Journalistic Teamwork Uncovered Years of Regulatory Failure in Texas

After a massive fire at a Texas petrochemical storage facility, reporters from Public Health Watch and The Texas Tribune worked together to shed light on who was responsible for this disaster and what health threats had been hidden from the public. This behind-the-scenes report from Public Health Watch’s David Leffler and Savanna Strott looks at the challenges the team faced and how they overcame them.

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July 18, 2023

One-Day Law School for Journalists

Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts' intensive online program is designed to support journalists and others in the media who face the challenge of reporting on the court system without a law degree. The program is offered at no charge. 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT.

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Shell Chemical Plant Had Many Violations Before Recent Fire, Paid Few Fines

"Residents, lawyers, and environmental groups point to aging facilities and reluctant state regulators as reasons for the continued string of industrial fires."

Source: Houston Public Media, 06/16/2023

U.S. Proposes Deep Fee Reductions For Wind, Solar On Federal Land

"A new regulation will formalize a roughly 80% cut in project fees for wind and solar energy developments on federal lands under a proposal by the Biden administration on Thursday as part of a strategy to boost renewable energy to fight climate change."

Source: Reuters, 06/16/2023

Sharks Are At A Much Greater Risk Of Going Extinct Than Previously Thought

"A massive new survey of nearly 400 coral reefs around the world reveals sharks once common in those waters are vanishing, a troubling sign that the fearsome fish are at a much greater risk of going extinct than previously thought."

Source: Washington Post, 06/16/2023

Bayer OKs $6.9 Million Settlement With New York Over Roundup Safety Claims

"Bayer AG agreed on Thursday to pay $6.9 million to settle claims by New York Attorney General Letitia James that it misled consumers by advertising Roundup weedkiller, which has been linked to cancer, as environmentally safe."

Source: Reuters, 06/16/2023

"US Government Toughens Rules On Chemicals Used To Break Up Oil Slicks"

"The Environmental Protection Agency has announced more stringent rules governing offshore oil spill response, amid continuing concerns about the effects on public health and wildlife from chemical disasters, including BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010."

Source: Guardian, 06/16/2023

Power Firms Quietly Pushed $215m Into US Politics Via Dark Money Groups

"US power companies have made political donations of at least $215m to dark money groups in recent years, according to a new analysis of 25 for-profit utilities, amid growing concerns around how they wield influence." "Donations have helped utilities increase electricity prices, hinder solar schemes and helped elect sympathetic legislators".

Source: Floodlight, 06/16/2023

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